Tube and flue expander



Jan.'28, 1930. G. WIEDEKE TUBE AND FLUE EXPANDER Filed Oct. 8, 1928 I AL ,4 TTOENEX GUSTAV WIEDEKE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GUSTAV WIEDEKECOMPANY,2OE

Fatentecl Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT omen DAYTON, OI-IIO, ACOIPARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF GUSTAV WIEDEKE, OTTO WIEDEKE, AND ROBERTWIEDEKE TUBE AND FLUE EXPANDER Application filed October 8, 1928. SerialNo. 311,042.

This invention relates to a tube and flue expander, and one object ofthe invention is to provide such an expander adapted to re ceiveinterchangeable sets of expanding rollers, the rollers of the severalsets having expanding portions of different lengths, there by enablingthe expander to be accommodated to tube sheets of different thicknesses.

as the device is described in detail.

- a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is adetail View of an ex-' which may be expanded after the mannerof a boilertube. The expanding device comprises a body portion or frame 7preferably cylindrical in shape and adapted to be inserted in the tubewhich is to be expanded. This frame has a longitudinal bore to receive amandrel and is provided with a plurality of, in the present instancethree, longitudinal slots or cavities 8 which are spacedcircumferentially about the same and are of such a length and soarranged that they will extend beyond the inner surface of the tubesheet when the frame is in operative position in the tube. Mounted inthe cavities 8 are expanding rollers which may be of the shape shown at9 and 10 in Fig. 1,'or of the shape shown at 11 in Fig. 3. These rollersare removably mounted in the cavities and a mandrel 12 extends throughthe bore of the frame and engages the rollers to press the same radiallyinto contact with the inner surface of the tube and to rotate the frameand thus expand the tube into firm engagement with the wall of theopening in the tube sheet as the frame is rotated. v

The tube sheets of different boilers are'of different. thicknessesandvit is desirable that the tube should be expanded throughout thethickness of the sheet and for a. short distance, usually about.one-eighth of an inch, beyond the inner surface of the tube sheet. Theordinary tube expander is provided with a straight cylindrical roll,such as is shown 7 in Fig. 3, of such a length that it will expand thetube throughout the thickness of any ordinary tube sheet. When such anexpand ing rollei'is used for expanding a tube in a relatively thin tubesheet the tube is expanded fora considerable distance beyond the innersurface of the tube sheet, which is objectionable because it injures thetube and not infrequently results in the job being eondeinned by theinspector. 'In order that a single tube expander may be utilized for thepurpose of expanding tubes in tube sheets of different thicknesseswithout expanding the tube for an objectionable distance beyond thetube'sheet, Ipropose to provide the expander with two ormore sets ofexpanding rollers, which will be interchangeable. The ordinarycylindrical roll of Fig. 3 will be used with tube sheets of the greatestthickness When the expander is used on a thinner tube sheet, rollerssuch as are shown at 9 and 10 in Fig. 1 are employed. It will be notedthat each of these rollers comprises an operative or expanding portionof a length less than the length of the cavity and'that means areprovided at the inner end of the operative portion of the roller forproperly positioning the same with relation to the tube sheet.

Preferably this positioning means comprises an end portion 13'of reduceddiameter which is adapted to engage the inner end wall of the cavity,and thereby position the operative portion of the roller, but is of sucha diameter that it will not engage the surface of the tube. It will beobvious that by withdrawing the mandrel and removing the retainingdevices 14 the one set of expanding rollers may be removed from thecavities and another set substituted therefor, thus enabling theexpander to be quickly adapted for use in connection with tube sheets ofdifferent thicknesses.

It is also customary to provide an expander Of hi kind with one or moreflaring rollers which serve to flare that portion-of the tube whichprojects beyond the outer surface of the tube sheet, as shown at 15 inFig; 1. These flaring rollers are usually frusto-conical in shape, asshown at 16, and are. loosely mound ed in the roller receiving cavities8, beyond the. outer end of the expanding roller. Usually only oneflaring roller is employed, and in the present instance, I havev shown asingle flaring roller and have made the expanding rollers in the othercavities of a length substantially equal to the length of the cavities,thereby causing them to. overlap the joint between the flaring rollerand the expanding roller with which the flaring roller is associated andthus prevent the forming of a ridge or bead on thetube between thepoints of contact of these two rollers. The flaring roller 16' is.loosely mounted in the cavity and when the mandrel is inserted: it willbe forced outward to the position shown in. Fig. 1, in-

flanges terminate at the ends of the roller receiving cavities and when.the flaring roller has been moved to..its inclined position it will be sneed some distance from the inner edges of t e flanges, therebypermitting. theendt of the tube to extend beyond the flaring roller.Consequently the extreme end portion ofthe tube will not be flared andwhen. it is turned or beaded there is danger of its cracking and ruiningthe tube.

To insure the flaring of the projecting. end of the tube throughout itslength. I haveprovided an arrangement in which the guard flanges 18 willoverhang the outer portions of the cavities and will have their edgesarranged; close to the flaring roller so.as to prevent the tubeprojecting beyond the flaring roller. In thepresent construction, thecavity 8 in which the flaring roller is mounted:

has its end wall inclined; with relation to the axis of the frame, as.shown. at 19, the inclination being such that this wallv will beparallel with the outer end of the flaring roller when the latter is inits operative position. The inner edge of the guard flange is alsopreferably inclined and 18 arranged substantially in the plane of theflared end wall 19 and parallel with the outer end of the flaringroller. With this arrangement the flange will slightly overhang thatportion of the cavity adjacent to the tube and will overhang thatportion of the cavity adjacent to the mandrel to a considerable extent.lVhen the expander is inserted in the tube, before the end has beenflared, the flaring roller is in its inner inoperative position andafter the expander has been inserted in the tube the mandrel is insertedin. the frame and rotated, thus forcing the flaring roller outwardly tothe position shownin Fig. 1. It will be noted that the arrangement ofthe guard flange is such that the. end of thetube cannot project beyondthe outer edge of the flaring roller and the guard flange is not in thepath of the flaring roller and consequently will not interfere with itsradial movement.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wishit to be understood that I donot desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claimas new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device for expanding a tube in a tube sheet, a frame adapted toenter the tube and having longitudinal cavities to extend beyond theinner surface of said tube sheet, expanding rollers mounted in therespective cavities and each having an expanding portion. of a length.corresponding to the portion of the tube which is to be expanded andhaving anon-expanding portion at the inner end ofsaid expanding portionto position the latter with relation to said tube sheet, said rollersbeing removable topermit said frame to be equipped. with. rollers, theexpanding portions of which correspond to the thickness of the tubesheet, and means for rotating said frame and moving said rollersradially.

2. In a device for expanding a tube in a tubesheet, a frame adapted toenter the tube and having longitudinal cavities to extend beyond theinner surface of the tube sheet, expanding rollers mounted in therespective cavities and each having an expanding portion of'a lengthcorresponding to the portion of the tube which is to be expanded andhaving a non-expanding portion of reduced diameter at the inner end ofsaid corresponding portion to engage the rear end of the cavity andposition the expanding portion with relation tothe tube sheet, saidrollers being removable to permit said frame to be equipped with rollershaving expanding portions which correspond to the thickness of the tubesheet, and means for rotating said frame and moving said rollersradially.

3. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to enter a tube and having aroller-receiving cavity, an expanding roller mounted in said cavity, aflaring roller mounted in said cavity beyond the outer end of saidexpanding roller, means for rotating said frame and moving said rollersradially, and a guard mounted on said frame to engage the end of saidtube and position said frame with relation thereto, said guardcomprising a tube-engaging part overhanging the outer end of said cavityand having its inner edge arranged close to the outer end of saidflaringroller.

4. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to enter a tube and having alongitudinal bore and a roller-receiving cavity, an expanding rollermounted in said cavity, a flaring roller mounted in said cavity beyondthe outer end of said expanding roller and having its outer surface in aplane oblique to the axis of said frame, a mandrel extending throughsaid frame and engaging said rollers, and a guard mounted on said frameto engage the end of the tube and position said frame with relationthereto, said guard comprising a flange spaced from the bore of saidframe and having its inner edge close to the plane of the outer end ofsaid flaring roller when the latter is in operative position.

5. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to enter a tube and having aroller-receiving cavity the outer end wall of which is inclined withrelation to the axis of'said frame, an expanding roller mounted in saidcavity, a frusto-conical flaring roller mounted in said cavity beyondthe outer end of said expanding roller, a mandrel extending through saidframe and engaging said rollers, and a guard mounted on said frame andhaving a flange extending inwardly to engage the end of a tube andposition said frame with relation thereto, said flange having its inneredge substantially in the plane of the inclined end wall of said cavity.

6. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to enter a tube and having aroller-receiving cavity the outer end wall of which is inclined withrelation to the axis of said frame, an expanding roller mounted in saidcavity, a frusto-conical flaring roller mounted in said cavity beyondthe outer end of said expanding roller, a mandrel extending through said7 frame and engaging said rollers, and a guard mounted on said frame andhaving a flange extending inwardly to engage the end of a tube andposition saidframe with relation thereto, said flange having its inneredge substantially parallel with the outer end of said flaring rollerwhen the latter is in engagement with said mandrel.

7 In a tube expander, a frame having a roller-receiving cavity, afrusto-conical flaring roller mounted in said cavity and rotatable aboutan axis oblique to the axis of said frame,

means for rotating said frame andv moving said roller radially, and aguard mounted on hereto.

GUSTAV WIEDEKE.

